I'm embarrassed to admit that I never really gave Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood a chance. As a kid, a copy had sat on our bookshelf, and the cover — a watercolour of jolly milkmaids and fishermen smoking corncob pipes — stank so much of overripe whimsy that my mind had simply rejected it. But when Vanessa Hughes and Zoe Norton Lodge were kids they actually bothered to crack it open and discovered it was brilliant, labyrinthine, bawdy and dark. They have mounted an ambitious one-woman show, with a lot of video in it, down at the Sidetrack Theatre in Marrickville. The text follows the lives of 64 inhabitants in the Welsh fishing village of Llareggub, all played by Norton Lodge. She rampages around the set for the full 90 minutes, frantically switching roles and using a limited amount of props to evoke different scenes and characters. At her best moments she has the quality of a precociously gifted and slightly touched maniac retelling you her favourite story in her bedroom. The show has many wonderfully lyrical moments, including Captain Cat riding over the seas in a bathtub and a stirring performance of a song called 'Chimbly Sweep' at the end. Her performance did plateau a little toward the end, but I assume this was just opening night nerves and will improve as the season continues and her confidence grows. Vanessa Hughes' set and video installations are uniformly excellent. They're simple and understated, adding to the performance rather than overpowering it. It's a very confident and accomplished production that I'm sure will have more seasons to come. If you're a fan of Under Milk Wood, I'd recommend checking it out, and even if you're not yet a fan, I was certainly converted.
A drop of blood hits the hot California pavement and everything changes. Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), a Bowie-obsessed teen girl has hit puberty, and, as the song about her goes, hello world she's your wild girl. Across town, her future bandmates Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Sandy West (Stella Maeve) practice and prowl, having been introduced by their Svengali of a manager, Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), who pulls the band together at Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco club. Floria Sigismondi's Runaways biopic opens in 1975, a precise moment in time when glam rock was exotic and girls stayed in front of the stage. The characters are infamous and so, too, are its stars, Stewart and Fanning, blowing off their vampiric Twilight roles for a brief, much-appreciated moment to embody Jett and Currie respectively. Often remembered (incorrectly) as the first manufactured all-girl band, the Runaways have a complex history, part wild teen girl mayhem, part Fowley-controlled, "genuine jailbait" image. Informed by Currie's tell-all autobiography and executive produced by Jett, The Runaways captures this tension perfectly, with the eccentric Fowley, brilliantly played by Shannon, schooling them on "thinking with their cocks" all the while pocketing profits and orchestrating controversy in the press. Sigismondi, mostly known for her music videos, follows the brief triumphs of the band and its crushing demise, rolling out all the usual rock biopic markers: first show, first tour, first international tour, first drug habits, first ego, first breakdown, first break-up. That said, to Sigismondi's credit, The Runaways keeps its initial energy throughout the lion's share of the film, and the characters are complicated and ferocious — their tale all too familiar but still one that manages to remain genuinely exciting. Runaways fans shouldn't be as nervous as I was about this film; it certainly does the band justice (despite skipping over a sizeable amount of their later history and line-up changes) and Stewart and Fanning are wholly convincing as two of the most important women in rock history. We don't have a star rating here at Concrete Playground, so instead I'll tell you this: I have seen this film three times already and I'm still excited to see it again when it hits theatres. See it first at Popcorn Taxi Wednesday, July 7, featuring a live Q&A with Cherie Currie from LA. It opens in cinemas on July 15. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OTpdXKocacQ
Nothing disappointing has ever come from a Sarah Blasko album. Her songs are sweet but never naive, and her propensity to write about personal battles with a voice as strong and frail as woven spiderwebs reveals something of her old-fashioned soul. She sadly left our shores a few months back to launch her latest album, As Day Follows Night, in the UK and leap from England to France, Scotland, Sweden, Norway and back again. New environments lead to new inspirations, so new material is something to be certain of in this upcoming Australian tour. Her tweets confirm she's interested in revealing some new material, but we've been promised a performance scattered with the diamonds of her three-album repertoire. And, considering she recently released a bonus disc of musical covers from Fame to The Sound of Music and admitted to shedding a tear or two through Billy Elliot (she saw the musical on Broadway), perhaps some show-tune styled numbers and elaborate costumes will round out the set? https://youtube.com/watch?v=QX1RgyCl1Xs
My love affair with comic books began in solitude. I read the sweet but politically incorrect Adventures of Tintin before moving into the much flashier worlds of Marvel, DC and 2000 AD. Over the years I sought out the others like me, sharing in secret our tales of masks and capes. I remember having long debates with my friends about who should play which costumed wonder in the theoretical films of our favourite comics (for some reason, Rutger Hauer was my pick for Magneto). It was a brave and exclusive world, back then. And suddenly the planet transformed. Comics spread from the sweaty palms of pre-teens and into mainstream and indie media. Film companies pumped millions into realising my childhood dreams (sans Rutger), while pretty girls with black hair revealed that they were also fluent in the secret language of frames, inks and lettering. Comic books, graphic novels, manga — these galaxies amid the universe of illustrated words had successfully wooed the zeitgeist. Now, Graphic, an inaugural celebration of comic books and related cultural media, will show Sydney just how much we need those "funnies". Filmmaker Kevin Smith and the poster boy for sophisticated comics, Neil Gaiman, head an impressive two-day schedule of talks, demonstrations, readings and screenings that will leave our city quaking from an ink-and-image overload. The program comprises both free and ticketed events, including the world premiere of Akira with a new live score by Regurgitator. Prepare to be inspired, if not surprised, by the volume that comics grant to creative voices all over our spinning orb.
Carriageworks are taking the artform of contemporary dance and giving it their own unique spin with a dynamic and diverse new show, dubbed the "dance equivalent of a concept album", featuring 12 solo performances from 12 of Australia's most exciting young dancers. Combining the individual flair of the performers with a hearty dose of nostalgia, Slow Dances for Fast Times is set to an endlessly fun soundtrack of pop and dance anthems taken from the last 50 years. Carriageworks has their sights firmly set on maximising audience satisfaction with an eclectic playlist that includes everything from a psychedelic Hendrix number and a soulful Dusty Springfield dirge to the piano-pop of Regina Spektor and the fist-pumping electronica of Portishead. There is even a Spanish torch song and a soaring classical aria thrown in for good measure. The dancers themselves have been handpicked by the show's Helpmann-nominated creator and choreographer Martin Del Amo following the sold out Sydney Opera House run of his Anatomy of an Afternoon. The performers were chosen not only based on their individual skill — and with a combined CV that boasts performances in such productions as Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the Indigenous spectacular Briwyant and pre-eminent dance crew The Fondue Set, the skill on show is quite considerable — but also with a deliberate focus on dancer diversity. Each dancer comes from a distinct cultural and artistic background such that each performance offers an enchanting insight into one of the many unique styles of dance that exist in Australia. With Carriageworks decked out with mirror balls and velvet curtains, Slow Dances for Fast Times looks set to be an unmissable marriage between the stylish and the retro, old-school nostalgia and new-age artistic innovation. We're giving away 10 double passes to see Slow Dances for Fast Times. To be in the running, simply subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email us with your name and postal address at hello@concreteplayground.com.au.
Going to the cinema used to be an occasion. People would get dressed up, they would save up, they would take their families, and they'd line up for double bills of cinematic entertainment. These were the days when cinema amazed, delighted and shocked. Metropolis was just one of these masterpieces that amazed audiences. A dystopian, futuristic tale of a world where capitalism has isolated its workers, this early science fiction was made in the German Weimar Republic in 1927. An icon of the silent film era, the film was cut after its premiere, and for more than 80 years, there hasn't been the opportunity to see it in its original full length. Until now. In 2008, a 16mm negative turned up in Buenos Aires, complete with the missing 30 minutes of footage. If you're a film fan, or can appreciate the important position that Metropolis takes in the cinematic canon, take advantage of this opportunity to see the restored version of this classic film, complete with the live score performed by the Sydney Symphony. It's been 80 years since this film has been shown, so there are few excuses good enough to miss this chance to restore cinema to the event that it once was. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZSExdX0tds4
People who hate Mondays must really hate Tuesdays. There’s not even any of that starting-the-week-afresh Monday feeling remaining, just the knowledge that you haven’t even hit hump day yet. So thank God for Moonshakes, The Flinders’ eclectic line-up of local bands with free entry, $5 spirits and $4 beers taking place every Tuesday. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like if Bjork came 15 years later and was signed to Brainfeeder then you should check out this week’s gig, headlined by young Sydney musician, composer and producer Rainbow Chan. Weaving her classical training in saxophone, piano and choral music with memories of Chinese folk songs and Grandma’s mix tapes, Rainbow Chan is always looking for innovative new ways to play with sound and narrative. Also present will be twisted dance artist SunSun (aka Joel Burrows), and new weekly residents Makeout Point — the new alias of local rock band W.I.M, described by the LA Times as “Rufus Wainwright fronting Grizzly Bear.” They’ll be making The Flinders home every Tuesday for the next month, and you should do the same.
Noam Chomsky is coming to Australia to accept the Sydney Peace Prize, but don't expect a silent and biddable award ceremony. Chomsky is an intensely vocal critic of inequity and exploitation, covering issues such as U.S foreign policy, mass media (or, in Chomskyian, the 'bought Priesthood'), terrorism, ecology, the never-ending hoodwinks of capitalism and more. Coming to prominence during the late '50s in the field of linguistics, Chomsky's infamous proposition was that we all possess an innate gift, a natural capacity, for learning and shaping language (sometimes called 'universal grammar'). In other words, language is hard-wired into the old cerebrum. Chaired by Mary Kostakidis, Chomsky will be answering questions posed to him by the audience relating to the ‘Problems of Knowledge and Freedom’. This obviously has an elastic potential, and gives us the opportunity to see one of the most cited, noted and quoted living public intellectuals think on his feet. For early Chomsky (vs Michel Foucault) click here. For recent Chomsky on Middle East Peace click here.
We were already planning to spend all summer on Cockatoo Island's new Island Bar. Think striped deck chairs, croquet tournaments and some of Sydney's best cocktails, courtesy of mixologist extraordinaire Marco Faraone. Who needs ferries when you can stay the night (or the week)? Then, just when we thought things couldn't get any better, they've upped the stakes. This weekend Cockatoo Island officially transforms into Cocktail Island, a two-day long festival celebrating all the best bits of bar and cocktail culture. We hear it will be a maze of cocktail stands and tasting rooms, likely to transform into a Baccalian melee. Classics like Negronis and Martinis will be offered alongside the newest and hippest from around the globe, with only the world's leading spirits used in the mix. It's a time not only for tippling but for learning. Master classes will be held with international guest speakers, including the unmissable tequila expert Julio Bermejo. Get worded up on cocktail history, current trends and even take-home tips for the perfect guest-impressers. Unlike your favourite music festival, tickets are a mere $15 (plus booking fee) then you only pay for the bits - well, the drinks - that you like. Update: Saturday is now sold out.
The 15th Japanese Film Festival kicks off with a ghost story, but this is no Ringu or The Grudge. A Ghost of a Chance is the comedic masterpiece from “King of Comedy” Koki Mitani, taking place in a courtroom where defence lawyer Emi must argue the case of a man whose only alibi is a 421 year-old ghost. From there the festival leaps into 28 Australian premieres and 2 Sydney premieres of the most hilarious, thrilling, insightful, delicious and action-packed films to come out of Japan in recent years. Yoshihiro Nakamura’s A Boy and His Samurai gives a tongue-in-cheek insight to the blurring of traditional and modern Japanese culture, and the creators of Ponyo and Spirited Away return with an equally captivating animation inspired by the children’s novel series The Borrowers. Cinema meets gaming in GANTZ, which challenges the semi-deceased to hunt down aliens in order to win a choice to either be freed from GANTZ or to revive someone already dead, while death itself is explored through the moving closing feature Life Back Then. Audiences will also find plenty of special events, from spoken prologues by award-winning director Hideyuki Hirayama and superstar actor Yutaka Takenouchi, to a raucous live-action adaption comedy in the vein of Harry Potter — only better, because it’s with ninjas.
Good King Tut knows all your secrets. He doesn't care if you've been naughty or nice, just as long as you're not in de Nile about it. He will whisper of the tombs and share Sphinx-nog and sacred wine with you this Friday when you drift with the dunes to Stinson Lane, Marrickville. There you can unravel the eighth great mystery of the world: what happens when you combine cab sav and Christmas? Perched at the top of the performance pyramid like the great Pharaohs of old are Brown Council, Kate Jinx, Kenzie Larsen, Lara Thoms, Matt Prest and Eddie Sharp. Wrapping up the night like an ancient desert mummy will be Nat Randall, Nick Coyle, Nick Sun, Pig Island, post, Pussy Moot, Whale Chorus and Zoe Coombs Marr. Scared you'll have to hawk your last scarab beetle to be part of the tinselled tomb action? Well, smile like a Sphinx with a secret, because it's only $10. With house band Swim Wear and live sets by T-Bag and Sir, you won't be able to walk (like an Egyptian or otherwise) for a week after.
America: Painting a Nation could have been pretty lame. Super broad survey shows can be antiquated and ineffective in the way they present and investigate art. Remember the recent retrospective of Australian art at the Royal Academy in London (made more famous by the art critic who said John Olsen's work looked like diarrhoea)? It was a bit of a train-wreck. However, Painting a Nation is one of those rare examples of a survey show done right. On display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until 9 February, the exhibition is a "voyage through American history, across the American landscape and into the minds of the American people". The largest survey of American art ever presented in Australia, this exploration of Americanness is as enjoyable as it is comprehensive. The works have been drawn from four major collections: the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and theTerra Foundation for American Art. Last year's summer blockbuster at the AGNSW, Francis Bacon, somewhat missed the mark. The gallery was unable to secure many of the really standout Bacons for the show and the overall effect was a little bitsy and garbled. This time around they've got loads of really wonderful works. In addition to the artists who first come to mind when you think of America: Pollock, Rothko, Whistler, Hopper, O'Keeffe and Sargent, there are some stalwarts that aren't so well known outside of the US. One such artist, Thomas Moran, is represented by several works. Hot Springs of the Yellowstone is an absolute jewel. The small, Turner-esque painting depicts geothermal areas in Yellowstone National Park. It's hard to make landscape paintings exciting, but this one has allure in spades. You can almost feel the mist rising from the springs. Despite being hung in a corner, you can't miss it. The picture possesses a preternatural glow; it's an amazing work and a reminder that even in the age of conceptual, multimedia art, sometimes you just can't beat a really masterfully executed oil painting. Henry Ossawa Tanner, the first African-American artist to receive international acclaim, is also featured. Portrait of the Artist's Mother is a haunting work. She has been captured sitting on a large chair, in profile, holding a fan. Her expression is affectingly plaintive. The room devoted to Modern art contains, among other paintings, two exceptional works by Georgia O’Keeffe. Horse's Skull with Pink Rose is one of the stars of the exhibit. O'Keeffe evokes the dusty plains of New Mexico in her exploration of a national symbol, death and beauty. Painting a Nation is the latest in Sydney's International Art Series, an initiative of Destination NSW and the NSW Government that seeks to bring world-class artists to Sydney galleries and museums. The program has been pretty stellar so far. The Anish Kapoor exhibition last summer was fabulous, and the upcoming Yoko Ono show should prove to be a hit, too. As Dr. Chris McAuliffe, curatorial consultant for Painting a Nation says, "looking at great art makes you a better person". Image: Jackson Pollock, No. 22, 1950 (detail), image courtesy of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Fashion, that ever-glittering mirage, with its inherent promises of glamour and adoration, has fed the imagination of millions from Carrie B. to Tavi G. Photographer Irving Penn tapped into this exact sentiment when he described his collaboration with Vogue as “selling dreams, not clothes”. The quote provides the inspiration for a current exhibition on loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Selling Dreams: One Hundred Years of Fashion Photography, which showcases more than 60 images of international fashion photography from the past 100 years. On at the State Library of NSW from August 10 to November 10, the collection charts the evolution of the medium from its beginnings in fine art to its concurrent rise with illustrated magazines in post-war times to the introduction of commercial interests in more recent decades. Among the curated works are the sensual images of Helmut Newton and the poignant black-and-whites of Richard Avedon. Combined with the art direction of renowned figures such as Diana Vreeland and Alexey Brodovitch, such moments of grace and style captured on film not only give audiences a glimpse into changing tastes but also see the hopes and dreams of the last century distilled in a shortened hemline or a provocative pose.
We have come a long way from segregation, but there are still lessons we have to learn about racial prejudice, even if it comes in comedic form. Delectable Shelter is a “black comedy about white terror”. It looks at five fortunate survivors of the apocalypse, each of whom is privileged and white. Their plans for the future go awry when they realise they may not be the only ones to survive, and that they may be sharing the earth on equal terms with those they thought were inferior. This play is a reportedly hilarious production that takes aim at the prejudices of Western society and provides an all-too-real look into the future. Brought to you by The Hayloft Project (Thyestes and Critical Stages and featuring the 1980s pop/classical music mash-ups of the inimitable Benny Davis (The Axis of Awesome), Delectable Shelter is a comedy that makes you think about a serious issue — one that isn't simply black and white.
Prefer your live music raw, unearthed and a little left of centre? Robbie Avenaim and his experimental tunes might be just what the doctor ordered. The musician/composer has been picking apart drum kits and turning them into creative new noise-makers for the past 25 years. With a tireless desire to unleash new sounds into the world, he’s now invented S.A.R.P.S, a semi automatic robotic percussion system and he’s set to show it off, as well as a bunch of other wacky sounds, in the first staging of The NOW now Solo Series. Held at Surry Hills Library, the series will showcase a string of exploratory solo musicians. Striving to expand our musical education, the series invites artists from all over Australia to participate, as well as the odd international act. And to ensure we really understand what we open our lobes up to, each artist will be offered a Q&A forum with the audience once the set wraps. Musicians will also have the opportunity to perform a second set if they’re feeling up to it. That’s how loose and exploratory it’s going to get.
While Peter Elfes’ photographs are spectacularly striking, capturing an entire colour wheel’s worth of natural phenomena, it’s what lies beneath the surface of each image that truly fascinates. Snapping the wonders of South Australia’s Lake Eyre as well as parts of North West NSW, Elfes delivers The Green Desert: a low level, bird’s eye view of the impact water and time have made on the Australian landscape. And though the elements have certainly taken their toll on the land, the beauty we’re left with rivals that of Sydney Harbour and its mainstay attractions. The images are so bloody gorgeous, they don’t look real. As the lake and other bodies of water transition into land, vibrant lashings of reds as rich as rubies and greens as dazzling as emeralds appear in an almost cartoon-like fashion. You’ll be second-guessing everything you see as Elfes’ infectious appreciation for Mother Nature washes over you. Not surprisingly, he's being recognised for his masterpieces. These snaps won him the NSW Parliamentary Landscape Prize in 2011. Rightly so. The Green Desert will be showing at Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquaries Road (from 1 February – 28 February) and Customs House, Circular Quay (from 2 February – 28 May).
Fraser Street Studios is bringing a group of artists together to talk about art you can't sell, letting you decide if it's better to make art that comes with a paycheck, or trade economic constraints for arctic freedoms. Uncollectable Art is moderated by Das Superpaper's Bronwyn Bailey-Charteris, and featuring ideas from ARIs, Primavera almunus and Squatspacer Keg de Souza, and performative walker Sarah Rodigari. The afternoon should leave you with a better appreciation for — or at least a stronger opinion about — the sorts of ephemeral things that are hard to sell, impossible to pack for art spaces and on occasion delightful to witness. RSVP online. Strategies for Leaving and Arriving Home image by Adeo Esplago. For more info on Art Month 2012, check out our Ten Best Things to See and at Art Month 2012.
Sydney artist Kath Fries gets about. Dropping sculpture in cemeteries, winning her way to Tokyo with the Japan Foundation's New Artist Award and now a selection of installations in Millers Point's for Scorch at galleryeight. The show casts tree branches in bronze, mixing them into art with nylon, charcoal and a touch of mess. For her Art Month talk, Beer and Fries, Kath gets combined in conversation with MCA Curatorial Assistant Megan Robson and galleryeight director Peter Cramer. At the talk's end, galleryeight's geographical advantages get used to good effect, finishing with a free craft beer-tasting next door at the Lord Nelson Hotel. RSVP info@galleryeight.com.au Image: Kath Fries, Hold dear, 2011, bronze, nylon and charcoal, dimensions variable. For more info on Art Month 2012, check out our Ten Best Things to See and at Art Month 2012.
If you’ve ever been to Spain or Mexico no doubt you’ve mumbled the words yo no hablo español, for better or for worse. But even if you’ve spent your whole life in Sydney you’ll realise that you do know a bunch of Spanish words like hola, taco, bueno, tequila, amigo and mariachi. These few words are sure to get you off to a good start! In 2011 photographer Christopher Morris took this attitude and his medium format camera to Central North Mexico and captured everyday images in parts of the country rarely seen. His spectacular photographs of Mexico are rugged, epic and deserted, and attest strength of character to the people who live amongst the mountainous caverns, deserted, dusty streets and cactus-punctured streets. Christopher Morris is the first artist taking the walls at Gallery 2010, a new contemporary curator-run art space in Surry Hills. At the launch event on Thursday night a limited edition 50 page book of the photographs published by Izrock will also be available. Vamos amigos! Image: Christopher Morris
Having double vision is a skill rather than a weakness at this year’s Cinema Alley. The annual one-night street screening of video artwork presented by 4A gallery returns to Chinatown on Friday with a lineup of two channel (two screen) works playing alongside the standard single channel screenings. The unique event takes place as part of Sydney’s Chinese New Year celebrations, presenting films from both Australia and Asia. Going beyond the project’s usual aim to generate discussions relating to contemporary Asian culture in the city, it will encourage viewers to experience film in a different way. Through layering and collision of moving images, what will (hopefully) result is an enriched cinematic experience through the generation of new meanings. The bar opens at 7pm for an 8pm screening, though if you have enough trouble trying to focus on a movie while simultaneously checking your Facebook it’s probably a good idea to go easy on the beers. And though it’s a free event it has proven to be rather popular, so secure your seat early.
After an absence of more than a year, the Museum of Contemporary Art is rebuilt, refit and ready to bring you more art than ever before. Its innards have been expanded, a white, lego-like addition fused to its northern edge and a cafe upstairs now offers you a view with your mid-art breaks. For its Opening Weekend, the MCA lights itself up to take its first contingent of new guests, with talks, art and events to keep you busy for four full days of artistic exploration. As well as finally being able to exhibit a permanent collection, the Museum's first big show, Marking Time, brings together eleven local and overseas artists to meditate on the passing moments. Works include Katie Paterson and Gulumbu Yunupingu's cosmic confetti and Jim Campbell's nightime occupation of the Museum's new front lawn. Not to mention the parallel exhibition of Christian Marclay's the Clock and Celestial Radio's daytime dalliance out front of the MCA. The weekend will also be marked by a series of lectures, tours and performances. Throughout the weekend, speed debating gives you the chance to test, air and push your own opinion about contemporary art. (Topic suggestions taken via this Twitter tag.) Indigenous dance performers perform across the weekend, a series of free artist talks, live VJ-ed art on Saturday and Sunday, digital art to play with, more than one discussion by artist on art, space and time ($15/10) and tours led by teenage guides, who will show you what they reckon makes them tick best after the refit. But with the scale of the program and with most events repeating throughout the MCA's vision of a four day weekend, it's a good time to drop in anytime and see what's on offer.
Fancy yourself a walking encyclopaedia when it comes to entertaining an out-of-towner in Sydney? Sure, you may be able to pinpoint the hottest speakeasies and restaurant hole-in-the-walls but we guarantee, you’ve got nothing on the bank of knowledge the team over at the Dictionary Of Sydney can boast. A City Of Sydney initiative, the Dictionary is a database of historical facts about our city and its attractions, created by, basically, a bunch of history geeks who get their kicks via rifling through ancient archives. They’re thorough and they’ve found the dirt on everything from when exactly Sydney’s first lesbians made their voices heard, to the city’s complicated infrastructure and far more randomly, when we first began using ice (the frozen water, people). The good news for us is they’re dying to spill about their findings. Being staged inside the Reading Room of Customs House’s fabulously stocked three-level library, Sydney Secrets invites Sydneysiders to meet with the researchers behind the dictionary as they discuss popular urban myths and debunk the falsities. Furthermore, the team has enlisted some live music and refreshments to help keep the crowds happy. The fun kicks off at 7.30pm while the talks commence at 8pm.
The Shins have announced an Australian tour in July 2012. The Portland-based band will be performing at Splendour In the Grass, plus they’ll be headlining a gig at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on July 25. Currently touring the US to celebrate the release of their fourth album Port of Morrow, The Shins will be supported by special guests Husky when they play at the Hordern and their gig in Melbourne on July 23. Tickets go on sale at 11am on Monday, April 30.
What’s the best way to avoid the end-of-the-weekend blues? Have a few drinks and (in your best Mafioso voice) fahgettaboudit! On Sunday, April 22, some of Australia's best winemakers are hosting a chilled afternoon of wine-tasting, food and live music at Paddington's coolest warehouse space, Global Gallery. Drawing on the spirit, passion and taste of Italy, producers such as Brown Brothers, De Bortoli and Tintilla Estate will be sharing their finest Aussie-made, Italian-inspired wines. Your ticket includes entry to the event, all wine samples (from a Riedel glass no less), live Italian music and an array of Italian treats, including olives, tapenades and yummy bread and oil, essential for soaking up all of the wine you'll be knocking back. Buy tickets here.
In 1768, before swinging past Botany Bay, Captain Cook stopped in Tahiti to watch a small black dot roll across the face of the sun. This was the Transit of Venus, when our neighbour planet passes between us and the Sun. With a combination of maths, timing and observation the scientists on board were part of a worldwide effort to measure the distance between planets via a solar shadow play that pops up roughly twice a century. They come in pairs, and the sequel to 2004's is on this Wednesday, with our next scheduled service due in 2117. Viewing-wise, the University of NSW’s outreach program looks to be a stellar bet, and Sydney University is putting on a day-long festival as well, culminating in the inevitable yet welcome arrival of Dr Karl. If rain delays play, the nearby Tin Sheds Gallery is running an exhibition on the era of radical change in exploration, colonialism and science set in motion by Cook’s transit. And if you join in from elsewhere, the Sydney Observatory has a great guide to help you watch and keep your eyes at the same time, as does ABC Science. (Who knew sunglasses weren’t enough?) Stuck at work? You can follow online via NASA, too. The Transit runs approximately 8am-3pm. Sydney Uni events will take place on the front lawns from 10 to 3. UNSW ping pongs between the Physics Lawn and Physics Theatre from 8 to 3. Please don’t look directly at the sun (or use unfiltered magnification): your eyes are your best feature. Image by Jan Herold used under a share-alike license.
A monthly literary event co-curated by Age writers and renaissance women Michaela McGuire and Marieke Hardy with all proceeds going to Edgar's Mission, Women of Letters has proven to be wildly popular in its home town of Melbourne as well as on its occasional dispatches to Sydney. Since its inception two years ago, every event has sold out, and it's no wonder. Blending the lost art of letter-writing with public entertainment in a relaxed and friendly environment, Women of Letters boasts monthly line-ups of strong and intelligent women reading their letters to a particular theme, previously including letters to 'The Night I’d Rather Forget', 'My First Pin-Up', 'My Nemesis' and 'The Song I Wish I'd Written' (the Splendour theme, which included men on the panel for the first and only time.). Among the wine, speakers and DJs, audience members are encouraged to participate, penning their own aerogrammes using the stationery provided. This instalment, Sydney's third, features journalist, writer and media personality Tracey Spicer; presenter of ABC's 7:30 Leigh Sales; congenial book lover Jennifer Byrne; actor and television host Charlotte Dawson; political commentator Annabel Crabb; ABC News 24 journalist and sports reporter Lucy Carter; and author, poet, satirist and social commentator Anita Heiss.
Now in its fourth year, the biggest annual winter festival in the Southern Hemisphere is back: Vivid Sydney is ready to transform the city for 18 days of light, music and ideas. Every night during the festival Vivid LIVE will kindle 50 art sculptures around Walsh Bay, The Rocks and Circular Quay. Aside from the psychedelic projections, there will be free and ticketed events for Vivid LIVE and Vivid Ideas, recently ranked as one of the world’s best ideas festivals by the Guardian. Vivid ideas will showcase over 100 specialist events, including discussions, debate and workshops at the MCA's Vivid Ideas Exchange; a keynote talk from Chad Dickerson, CEO of Etsy; and a conversation with UK fashion talent Henry Holland. Florence and the Machine and the Ceremonial Orchestra will be opening Vivid LIVE with a sold-out concert, Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will present her "psycho opera" Stop the Virgens and Janelle Monae will be making her Australian debut with the ArchAndroid Orchestra. Photo by Daniel Boud.
Biblical mythology, idyllic landscapes, wild animals, political caricatures, sensuality and hardcore pornography all come together in this collection of monochromatic lithography prints, derived predominantly from the AGNSW's collection. Linked by the medium of printmaking, as a whole what they show is the diversity of art and ideas in the Romantic age, an era which is too often simplified as having a coherent doctrine. Comprising mostly English and French prints from the late 18th century through to the mid 19th century (by which time lithography became superseded by etching), highlights include a series of William Blake's deft and idiosyncratic reworkings of Old Testament passages and Eugène Delacroixâ's careful studies of lions and tigers. And yes, there is a touch of xxx, just look out for the work with all the people standing around it. Image: Eugène Delacroix, Royal Tiger, 1929.
Emily Floyd prefers to keep things real. In fact, inauthentic gestures are so bothersome to her that she’s created three installations, entitled Garden, Our Community Garden, Alternative School and Farmers Market, to represent genuine solutions to the realistic possibilities of food shortage, catastrophic climate change and political despotism. Collectively, Floyd’s installations seek to combat these threats by incorporating manifold types of information. URL codes are inscribed on the artworks alongside naturally occurring patterns. Sculptures take on comfortingly familiar shapes, such as the giant double helix Garden Sculpture, while others fail to ascribe to any such obvious signifier. Floyd’s work is between an antithesis and an answer to modern Australia, in that The Fertile Void holds all the answers while sincerely knowing none of them.Photo courtesy of Emily Floyd & Anna Schwartz Gallery
Fringes are easy to identify, mainly because by definition a fringe forms the outer edge of a discernable whole (or, in other cases, it’s the bit of hair just above your eyes). Verges are a lot more exciting in comparison, because they promise that something greater is on its way, something unseen but sure to dazzle in its nascence.So the University of Sydney’s Union is promising a lot with its chosen title and, judging from previous incarnations and a peek at this year’s line-up, The '09 Verge festival will certainly deliver a pyro’s stash of explosive cheer.It all goes bang on August 28th, with a massive Festival Opening night that combines indie electro outfit Telefonica, the Purple Sneaker DJs and the launch of SeeSee Miscellany Magazine – a creative writing periodical that is flare-worthy in its own right.Also, a favourite festival piece returns this year with the Night Markets on September 4th, giving everyone an opportunity to navigate the fairy realm’s equivalent of Westfield.As part of VergeTalks, On Blue King Brown’s Natalie Pa’apa’a, The Herd’s Tim Levinson, Rolling Stone’s Dan Lander and musicologist Dr Cecilia Sun will get together to talk about the role of music in revolution on September 9.However, the heart of a good Verge festival is its Tent, which this year kaleidoscopes from OH&S-defying electric wunderkinds Dorkbot, through to Western Chinese rockers Askar Grey Wolf, and blossoming out as a blissful, chai-swilling gypsy music love nest. In fact, there’s so much cascading out of that piece of canvas that I’m not even sure if I’ve linked the correct adjectives and nouns. Ah well, it’ll make for a delightful surprise on the night.Photo by Amelia Schmidt
A night at the theatre does not necessarily end after the third curtain call, and nor should it in some cases. Version 1.0 is a Sydney-based company that recognises the potential power in theatre as a tool of community awareness and transformation. Furthermore, they understand that to properly affect you must show and not tell – for the preacher is always alone in his or her pulpit.This kind of ruckus is Version 1.0’s new offering, an exploration of violence in our homes and in the footy codes that, for many Australians, are vital to our cultural identity. When the politics of power and control are so prevalent in domestic life, what are the consequences of having sex-scandal sports stars as our most readily available role models? Are we marked by the sins of the football?We have 5 double passes to give away for the preview this Thursday night, thanks to Performance Space! Just email your details to hello@concreteplayground.com.au with 'This Kind of Ruckus' in the subject line.
The Oxford Art Factory will be celebrating their second birthday this month in a fun-filled extravaganza of music and general partying on down with your pants down. The venue is looking back at its year of spectacular entertainment, which has included hundreds of amazing musicians, artists and performers every night of the week. The night for your diaries is Friday August 21, when you will not only get the opportunity to see such Aussie acts as Sticky Fingers, Leader Cheetah, Fashion Launches Rocket Launches, The Protectors and DJs Quincy, Exercise Mike, Graz, Harry Cotton, Lewis B and Ironman, BUT you will also see all of this for exactly ZERO dollars. Gratis, nada, zilch. So there’s absolutely no excuse for you to forget OAF's birthday.
Travel to the empty part of the map marked, "There be monsters here" and you might find some of the “strange and wonderful life and adventures†artist Alli Sebastian Wolf has injected. Obsessed with C-grade sci-fis, cartoons and scrapheap theatre, Alli’s approach is definitely on the side of cultural renegade, citing, “Drunk teenagers stealing the expensive booze from their folks’ liquor cabinet†as her inspirational modus operandi, as well as, somewhat startlingly, likening herself to a butcher who can hack up a cow and make good use of the bits. What she has certainly made use of is lots of tin-foil, cardboard and objects with a leaning for telepathy, “A lampshade absolutely insisting it’s a time warp or the packing box that has to be a castle.†This is a world of pure play but Alli is careful to make clear that, “Poetry and critique of the world can sneak under the radar like that.†Groucho Marx’s nipples are in evidence, alongside references to Quixote and the Bayeux Tapestry in a 15m frieze that visually represents all the landscapes in Alli’s head – a love song to fantasy.
Marionettes awaken powerful emotions in people. Many pale-faced adults will mumble about childhood fears, of puppets grinning soulessly at the prospect of dragging screaming kids under the bed. But there's more to life than bed-wetting terror, and Canadian puppetmaster, Ronnie Burkett, uses his craft to bring both heartache and joy into the land of wood and string.Billy Twinkle: Requiem for a Golden Boy, follows the eponymous hero, a puppeteer, as he plunges through an existential crisis and into the ghostly aid of Sid Diamond, his old teacher. Drawing at times from Burkett's own life, this sweet tale is a marionette epic filled with characters both bizarre and memorable. The quality of Burkett's mastery is such that you'll often forget that it's only his hands and chameleonic voice breathing life into Billy Twinkle's universe.Photo by Trudie Lee
Ok, so there are lots of people in the band, they are from Townsville (so hot right now no pun intended), people say they are Christians, they were featured on JJJ unearthed, they are signed to Spunk (the eponymous Aus Indie label who put out records by Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire, Holly Throsby etc). Those are some details. The Middle East's music is drop dead beautiful, with Jordan Ireland's vocals (akin to Belle And Sebastian, or Sufjan) over lovely instrumentation that can go from whimperingly picked guitar to all-out sing along with crashing cymbals and horns in just one song.Their debut EP Recordings Of The Middle East was originally self released a couple of years ago but is now being reissued by Spunk who are keeping details hazy. This ungoogleable band developed a fair amount of hype without even a live show, but have since notched up a few on their belts to much acclaim, including a spot at this year's Splendour. Luckily for those who haven't seen them they have announced their debut headline tour down the coast and are stopping in at Manning Bar. Join in with the kids (the show is all ages), and get swept away. It should be a very nice evening of music. Supporting are Dragging Pianos (also from Townsville) and Sydney's Jonathan Boulet. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EjB2hbMYIXo
If you imagine combining that dust storm with bass amps, amphetamines, booze, and loud guitars, all running off a generator in the desert, then you might be able to picture the beginnings of Nick Oliveri’s musical path with Kyuss, in Palm Desert, California. Oliveri, and then Kyuss guitarist Joshua Homme went on to become the key members of Queens Of The Stone Age, sharing vocal and song writing duties on the bands albums Rated R and Songs For The Deaf. With his punk influences, the hideously-goatied Olivieri spat out some of the more abrasive yet memorable Queens songs- “Cocaine, nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstasy and alcohol wwwaaaaahhh! (lengthy scream)â€, on Feel Good Hit Of The Summer. After the often volatile and inebriated Oliveri was fired from Queens (he was once arrested for performing naked in Brazil) he formed his own band Mondo Generator, playing a more intense brand of punk/metal. He has moonlighted and collaborated on a plethora of projects including the Mark Lanegan band, Brant Bjork and The Bros and seminal scum-punk band The Dwarves, which bring him to Australia. He continues his moonlighting ways by playing a few solo shows whilst here, and he'll be showing us his acoustic side with songs from his two truly solo albums Demolition Day and Death Acoustic at The Hopetoun October 10th.Nick Oliveri from Mondo Generator from Music Feeds on Vimeo.
Before China flung open its imposing red doors to an international market, it was very much the quiet kid in the corner with super strict parents who didn’t talk to anyone for fear of inviting a wedgie. This was the backdrop for the early years of young Li Cunxin's (Chi Cao) life in Mao’s Last Dancer, adapted for the screen by Aussie director Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy) and writer Jan Sardi. At the tender age of 11, Li was plucked from his town and family in rural China by Madame Mao’s cultural delegates and sent to study ballet in Beijing. Years of rigorous self-discipline and draconian tutelage bestowed on Li the goods required to represent China in a 3-month cultural exchange at the Houston ballet in Texas. In a series of flashbacks and forwards, we see Li’s baby steps into the USA’s capitalist landscape (disco, Pepsi and chicks) starkly contrasted with his earlier life in Communist China. Buoyed by the accolades that accompany his stunning performances (and, thanks to choreographer Graeme Murphy, they really are stunning), and the flush of budding romance, the impending return to his homeland becomes decreasingly appealing. Li opts for a shotgun marriage to his new sweetheart instead, providing him with grounds for defecting. What happens next is a predictable combative pas-de-deux with a pretty peeved bunch of Chinese officials and Li's new American friends. If you liked the book, can stomach a bit of cliché and a script that occasionally teeters on template Hollywood schmaltz, Mao’s Last Dancer is worth it for the impressive cinematography and technically brilliant dance sequences smattered with some genuinely stirring emotional moments. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8ufBNOkTvdQ
So this week it has all been about redheads. The Devoted Few, a great news piece I saw on BBC about 3,000 red heads getting together in Breda, Netherlands, and now La Roux, whose name translates from the French as “The Redâ€. I am here to tell you that Jackson, with her partner in synth crime Ben Laingmade, are here playing the Parklife tour and are stopping in up the road at The Enmore Theatre.The London duo are still pretty fresh, having released their first album last year after briefly toying with the idea of writing acoustic music. They are far from fledgling though; their singles hitting the top ten in the UK and their heads being all over the UK press. Not Your Toy is their latest single and is a good example of their slick synth-driven pop, with the very memorable vocals of 20-year-old Jackson over the top of dinkey 80’s derived electronic pop. Their live show is much hyped including praise from NME, which described the singers performance as holding “Gobsmacking intensityâ€. They have been all over the globe lately drumming up hype and playing festivals and shows, including Lollapalooza, a spot on the massive US TV show Jimmy Kimmel Live, a support tour with the geezer princess Lilly Allen and they even teamed up with Franz Ferdinand to cover Blondie’s Call Me at a NME festival.https://youtube.com/watch?v=9lVaWYkKOdY
News has started to filter through the music industry rumor mills that legendary indie rock band Pavement are reforming for a tour next year and will be coming to Australia. For those who saw the band in the 90s this news might not be so exciting, but for those of us too young to experience the live show first time around, this is probably the best news we’ve ever heard! We needn’t wait until next year though. Pavement front man and Silver Jews member Stephen Malkmus is touring Australia next week accompanied by his band The Jicks which includes former Sleater-Kinney member and (my all time personal hero) Janet Weiss on drums. These legends of the indie world are performing at The Metro supported by some of the best new Sydney acts, Bridezilla and Songs. You’d be stupid not to go.
Ornithologists and rock fans achtung! Get your binoculars out and head down to Little Birdy at the Enmore. One of the many bands in the seemingly endless pool of talent originating on the west coast of Australia, Little Birdy have just put out a new single off their 3rd studio album Confetti.The single is named Hairdo and that will do for a fine segue into the fact that Sydney’s own indie-pop powerhouse Red Riders are supporting: frontman Alex Grigg would definitely be up for best rock band curly bouffant award if there were such an award (hello MTV?).Hairdo is a shift down in gears from previous singles; the Paul Kelly assisted Brother and the upbeat pop/soul stomp of Summarize. Hairdo is a meandering keyboard driven (dare I say Strawberry Fields influenced?) pop tune that almost falls into the 3rd single equals ballad category but then lifts for a glistening chorus.Kudos to the birdies as the have curated a great lineup of music for the night with Brisbane’s malnourished Triple J Unearthed winners Hungry Kids Of Hungary opening with their bright and shiny tunes as well as the aforementioned and big haired Red Riders.https://youtube.com/watch?v=XTL5XlrxCtE
There's a reckoning on its way, according to some, and its future is told in the passing of broken seasons under acid-smoked skies. When the monkey faeces finally hits the industrial fans, you had better hope that you paid enough attention to the Survivalists when you had the chance.Welcome to Bustown, the junkyard wonderland that exists in writer Lachlan Philpott's vision of the apocalypse's afterparty. Yesterday's mistakes are gone and the survivors have made their sort of paradise. But now the time's come to clean up and move on, and for those who can still pump blood to wonder where exactly they should go to next. Catch the 2009 vintage of ATYP's nursery, as these talented young performers come of age in their final production under the guise of the YAP ensemble.https://youtube.com/watch?v=BZxbwyU5mTQ
The advent of the music blog has been reshaping the musical landscape with the likes of stereogum, pitchfork etc. almost determining the future of bands with their gospel.If we turn our collective digital attention back to our big dry country, there are some heavy hitters in the blogosphere here too (see Polaroids of Androids, A Reminder etc). One of these, the very boganesquely titled Who The Bloody Hell Are They, is this week programming indie establishment Mum at World Bar. The acts appearing are some of whothehell's picks of Sydney's music scene at the moment, including Megastick Fanfare with their organic and percussive yet melodic back-to-Africa sound and local folk troubadour Fergus Brown who's been demanding some attention lately for his whimsical and light hearted tunes.Other upstarts Peacocks and The Winter People are playing live as well as the whothehell bloggers themselves arming the decks.
University comedy troupes and political satire can either be the best thing in the world or the worst. Just look at The Chaser, as an example of either, depending on your taste.I'm guessing that we are in pretty safe hands with The Invisible Dot though. They're a team of 6 young comedians and writers from England who've won a slew of awards in both Edinburugh and Britain. Their play The Party is about a bunch of idealistic young idiots who form a political party in an attempt to solve the problems of the world. The premise is loose and open-ended enough to allow the troupe to riff on a bunch of political topics including China, sex trafficking, cycle lanes, unfair trade coffee and when they should break for cake.
Rob Bryant, General Manager of the OpenAir Cinema can sum up the experience in three words, 'Sydney in summertime'. This isn't just an outdoor cinema, Mr. Bryant explains, "It's an experience of Sydney. We all live here and we all run around like mad everyday, just keeping our head above water here, but we don't all that often stop. [The OpenAir Cinema] gives 60,000 people the opportunity to just take stock of where we live." Preferably with a beer in hand while munching on some gourmet catering. And of course the Mr. Bryant also calls the event, "a festival of films, which this year boasts, preview or premiere films and a lot of current releases, all the Boxing Day big releases and a couple of January releases." The full program will be released on December 11, but Mr. Bryant gave Concrete Playground a sneak peak, starting with opening night and the Australian musical Bran Nue Dae; "a lovely story set in Western Australia, centring on the importance of home" starring Geoffrey Rush, Missy Higgins and Australian Idol's Jessica Mauboy. Also previewing are Clint Eastwood's Apartheid story Invictus (starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon), Rob Marshall's all-star musical extravaganza Nine and John Hillcoat's adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's post-apocalyptic The Road. OpenAir Cinema audiences will get first look at the raucous British political satire In The Loop, designer Tom Ford's directorial debut in A Single Man, as well as Mel Gibson's return to the big screen in Martin Campbell's The Edge of Darkness. Mr. Bryant eagerly describes the latter as "an edge-of-your-seat, thriller kind of thing," while he is also keen about bringing a little horror to the Botanic Gardens with a special preview of The Wolfman. "It might be the first [horror film] ever [programmed] actually. It's got a fabulous cast, Emily Blunt, Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Hugo Weaving and it's inspired by the original Wolfman, which was really the founding father of all horror films." If scaring yourself silly in the Botanic Gardens isn't your thing, then Mr. Bryant suggests the Boxing Day films like Sherlock Holmes or The French Kissers, or perhaps some favourites from 2009 like (500) Days of Summer and Where the Wild Things Are. But as for bribing Mother Nature for fine weather, Mr. Bryant admits "Well you just can't, can you?!" Offering that, "We've reached the stage where when it rains you've got 1600 people sitting there "" you get a poncho "" you sit there and people have a wonderful spirit about it." Rain, hail or shine, the OpenAir Cinema draws a "rock concert-like" demand for tickets, with last year selling, 20,000 in half an hour, 40,000 in the first day. So when presales commence 9am on December 17, it's time to book your next visit to Mrs. Macquaries Point and that marvelous postcard view of Sydney in summertime. We have a double VIP pass to give away for (500) Days of Summer at the OpenAir Cinema. Just send us your details to hello@concreteplayground.com.au with "OpenAir Cinema Giveaway" in the subject line for your chance to win. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qtLbLBi5Jyk https://youtube.com/watch?v=PVKyeMQcUNY https://youtube.com/watch?v=2B2N_iRUJ7Y https://youtube.com/watch?v=E9Ovkye6lac
In German it means "silence", and in Ruhe we find the intersection between many types of quiet. It is the opposite of the note, a pause in the musical score important enough to have its own notational symbol, and then it is the appreciative reverence of those listening to a musical performance. But the darker sense of silence comes to the fore in Ruhe: the tight-lips and downward gaze of those not wishing to speak about a past of atrocity.Based upon interviews recorded by Dutch artists Armando and Hans Sleutelaar in the 1960s, Ruhe melds the rich, masculine voices of the Collegium Vocale Gent choir with the confessions of former SS members. This is the Australian premiere of Belgium's Muziektheater Transparant, and audience members are invited to take their seat amongst the performers. When the music of Schubert is constantly jarred aside by ghosts, will you want to cry out for the blessing of silence?Image by Hermann Sorgeloos
Giselle is a very famous classical ballet from 1841. It’s usually performed by very stuffy traditional ballet companies. Luckily for us contemporary dance company Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre has taken this seminal text and ran with it - pushing it in a far stranger direction than anyone would expect. The story is basically about jilted female spirits who rise from their graves at night to seek revenge upon men by dancing them to death. Horror and absurd humour figure heavily in what is a very dirty sexy and brutal piece of contemporary theatre. It has been touring the world pretty much non-stop since it’s 2003 premiere in Dublin and now it’s coming to Carriageworks as part of the Sydney Festival. Lucky us.https://youtube.com/watch?v=RsT6e7iMj_M
Humans and their desire to experience images of dazzling immediacy and sensory adventure were given a wonderful (but soon to be forgotten) gift in 1962: the ‘Sensorama’. A pre-digital and therefore mechanical device, the ‘Sensorama’ was designed by Mr. Morton Heilig, who celebrated his prototype as the ‘cinema of the future’ and the ‘theatre of experience’. Combining sound and 3D images with everything from manufactured wind to aromas, the excited Heilig had hoped that these sensory ingredients would awaken us to the potential of producing momentary realities within immersive environments. Although Lynette Wallworth and Morton missed each other’s existence (through the accident and randomness of birth), I get the feeling they may have been friends had they met at a party or at some other event where people socialise. Wallworth, an Australian artist who exhibits both nationally and internationally, is a little like a technologically savvy mystic, often conjuring up moving images that respond to touch or our presence in the space. (A great delight if you have ever thought that images should be more attentive and courteous.) A little too real to be dream-like and a little too dream-like to be familiar, Wallworth’s environments are an exercise in unexpected concentration and unusual exploration, often involving wordless narratives that attempt to emotively fertilize a sense of intimacy and empathy between the moving image and the participants moving body. And although the Wallworth experience is usually no roller coaster ride, it may offer a moment of sensory gratification and some time for healthy reflection. So if you are worried and sceptical about a mindless sensory experience don’t be. While escapism might have a bad reputation with the diligent pragmatist in you, it is often necessary in order to uphold a daily routine saturated in insistent reality. The desire to escape is in fact a pragmatic one. Moreover Wallworth’s visual and sensory escape is founded in content, drawing on issues such as grief, fragility, belief and ecology in a way that won’t leave you with a sore throat (as though something had been forced down it). So if you want to take advantage of an exchange Heilig and Wallworth never had you might like to schedule a visit to CarriageWorks, where Wallworth will present three interactive works: Invisible by Night, Evolution of Fearlessness, and her most recent piece, Duality of Light.
We all remember that time you stole Georgia Hutchison’s shoes after PE, and she came out of the shower all kind of confused and it took her ages to realise they were actually out in the playground being poked by curious ibises. She was kind of a mean kid and everyone had a good laugh and it was fine and all, only next time, you might want to think about funnelling that commendable spirit of larrikinism towards something a little more meaningful. You know, maybe help cast light on apartheid? Or protest against your country’s involvement in a morally and legally dubious war? Or draw much-needed attention to the scourge of unscrupulous advertising and engineered consumerism? If you’re short on ideas, Iain McIntyre’s How to Make Trouble and Influence People: Pranks, Hoaxes,Graffiti & Political Mischief-Making from Across Australia has a few. McIntyre chronicles two centuries of “creative resistance†in Australia with historical snippets, 300 photographs and 14 interviews with pranksters including The Chaser comedians (on breaching APEC lines in 2007), BUGA-UP (Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions) and Dave Burgess (who, along with one Dr Will Saunders, cheerfully decorated the Opera House with an anti-war manifesto back in 2003). If you need any more coaxing to get into the trouble-making spirit, McIntyre will be launching his tome at two Sydney events: first at Berkelouw Books in Newtown, with a little help from politician Dr Meredith Burgmann (Mother Inferior of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence) and musician Simon Hunt (Pauline Pantsdown); and second at the Red Rattler, where he’ll be joined by Rachel Evans (No To Pope Coalition) and Dave Burgess, plus a bevy of musicians and projectionists. 6pm on 3 December, upstairs, Berkelouw Cafe and Bookshop, 6-8 O’Connell St, Newtown. Free. 8pm on 5 December, Red Rattler, 6 Faversham St Marrickville. $10.
King Khan & The Shrines are pretty much the most fun you will ever have at a live show - their psychedelic, raucous, in-your-face, garage explosions will have you screaming for more and rolling around on the floor.The 11-member band (which includes 60-year-old Chicago-born Ron Streeter who performed as a percussionist for Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder) are journeying down under for the first time, performing at the Falls Festival and with their first Sydney show scheduled in January at the Oxford Art Factory with support from Royal Headache.
What's the worst thing you could do on your 21st? Get the wrong friend to give the wrong speech? Vomit back into the yard glass and then continue drinking? Pick a theme that doesn't contain the elements of both wit and style? Hah, these are all the playful antics of pre-adults compared to the biggie: you end up murdering your father and seducing your mother.Cut to Thebes, where King Oedipus is chatting to Dr Freud about how he experienced deja vu the first time he saw his wife's vagina. And it's all about to go down hill from there. Featuring live music and remixing by the talented Dublin theatre outfit, Pan Pan, this is the work that Sophocles and Jean Cocteau would've produced had they lived together and been Irish. Possibly.Image by Marcus Lieberenzhttps://youtube.com/watch?v=uJk2wJqoAZs
